The Denver Broncos are in an interesting spot as a franchise on the rise. Offensively, they seem to be chock full of young players with big potential. Defensively, the team relies on veterans to hold things together.
When George Charouri joined Ryan and Ben on Broncos Country Tonight they focused on both ends of that spectrum. There was an article written recently about potential breakout wide receivers for the 2020 season in fantasy football, and some fans were disappointed to see Courtland Sutton left off the list.
Obviously, an oversight like this had to be discussed, but was it really an oversight? According to Chahrouri, Sutton doesn’t make the list because he already broke out. There is no doubt, not just within Broncos Country, but throughout the league, that he is the Broncos best WR.
What that does indicate is that other guys who will benefit from Sutton being a focal point for the defense. Noah Fant, who already broke out a little bit, seems to sit in the middle of that obvious weapon to focus on and potential weapon that teams could forget about. Rookies, Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler also look like potential breakout stars in Denver, as long as Drew Lock can be accurate enough to hit them.
With all the excitement around the Broncos second year QB, it will be important to see how well he can identify the open players, and then get them the ball. Teams will look to eliminate Sutton as a threat, which makes the other receivers even bigger weapons for Lock to lean on. It should create scoring opportunities that the offense should be able to capitalize on.
On the opposite end of the team spectrum is the experience of the defense, namely, Von Miller. Another point of contention between Broncos Country and PFF is their continued discussion about Miller being on the downside of his career. Let’s face it, he probably is.
That doesn’t mean that Miller can’t play a great back-9 on his way to retirement. On the PFF top-50 players list, Miller is the only Bronco, and he comes in at 25. Being a top-25 player in the NFL means you are elite, but we like to see our favorite players at the top of these lists, even when they don’t really matter.
However, Miller being closer to the end of his career than to the beginning doesn’t mean he can’t perform. It also indicates that the Broncos have a clear idea about how they want to approach the 2020 season and beyond. Relying on veterans to lead the defense, and giving the offense plenty of young weapons to maximize scoring potential.
As Miller gets older, his production will certainly dip, but Charouri brought up a great point. Edge rushers are more likely to extend their careers because of they way they can be used more efficiently. Think about how the Broncos used DeMarcus Ware as he finished his career.
Miller will definitely start to slide into that role more. That is why Bradley Chubb was such a perfect draft pick a couple years ago. He slots into that ‘Von Miller’ role, and Miller becomes DeMarcus Ware, and the circle of life continues.
A healthy mix of youth and age should help Denver to more wins in 2020, and possibly a spot in the playoffs. It also set the Broncos up for success deep into the next several seasons.
Bonus Listen
Ryan and Ben were joined by US Army Green Beret, and former NFL long snapper Nate Boyer. He was the veteran who advised Colin Kaepernick about kneeling during the National Anthem. He recounts how that story evolved, and discusses the current issues that face our society today. It’s worth your time.